Incendiary bomb



Sept. 14, 1943. T. P. DUNCAN. -JR

INCENDIARY BOMB Filed March 16, 1942 z. ma ,o

' and, itis" an objectof theinvention to. provi t body' is provided. 'with means. vl`'to e'flectivelyY kresist vFigurel is a longitudinal-:sectional lyiewglia-keit vslum or a. combination of magnesium and therf 'SOIUOIL although the acetic acid solution Patented Sept. 14, 1943 l l l (Clerical-lc) l vThisinventionrelatesl ,telai-1' iiieendlarybtimn 1'* device of; this kind irlcludingiaflinfody of co f bustibleA material', together with' means within A the body made effective byan a'oii t dropping of the bomb at an approfxlilialtem determined by both time and distance, 'l

It is 'also an object'of the'inventiolito provide a'bomb of this' 'kind' including Va. body ofahighly combustible `material.together witnmeans for griiting the same by impe/chend wherensull' striking shock c l'lt` li'inpact,andv thereby,fnla'lterially 'increasing the'eiciencyof-fthebonibl 1"7 i An additional object `ofthe inventioiiis'tepfef. i vide a bomb of 'this kindlprovidediwith means."forv imposing'drag or vane effect upon the. bomb when dropping to insure the same.*tr'aveli'ng'l ini desired. eiieetive course. ,y f 1 v The inventionl consistsin. the details..of: econ-1l structionlVV and in the combinationffandarranger ment of theseveral parts, of my improvedincenf diary bomb whereby certain'importantadvanfr` tages are attained', .as will be hereinaf `more fully'set-forth.4 .y y., l, ".JI'n' -order thatV my invention maybe 'better ur'lc'lerstood,v` I will now proceed;toylescribezthe same with reference to thelaccompanying d ravyfe ing, wherein:

through a bomb constructed in. acoordanoe'with an embodiment .offltfhe inventiongand associated with aballoon carrierfsaid carrier jeing in rag# nnrlt.y A A' Figure 2 is atransversesectionalviewtakenon v35e the line `2--2 of Figurei'l, and i g y Figure fis. anelevationalI vie -on a"reducedii` scale .showing the bom-b and its balloon carrier' as hereinembodied.

'As disclosed in the accompanying-dra i -l PFPVidSdWthav toi'oponine.l5?l o? f t 11111 plaingwillhint Cham/,n .o-of'ai'. denotes anelongated-cylindrical member orstick 1f d l am vvlOfxflUGClfSOllllOTlJlill:'l-llSiSOllllml of 'highly combustible material,k Such as; megne- :may be an acetic acid solution or a nitricv acid@ mite. The lower end Aor nose portiony of the preferred. o e 1 Y w member lI at its axial center is -formed to provide 45f All Substantially the axial center of 'the' botl a relatively deep pocket 2 inwhieltes illustrated i, `tom ofthefohamber I0, the body Itis yprovided with i in Figure 1, ls niet placed a priming` thermite f a socket vl1Y into which threads' or isotherWiSo I charge 3 and an outer ring charge 4. These tightly engaged a timer plug'l ofla metal easily charges 3 and 4 are used when the body is Of ,t eaten by the acidv solution Within the chamber` magnesium. Howevenshould the body" I in its 50 l0; kSuch-as magnesium allOyLOI'llle Well kllOWH .Y constituency include magnesium and thermte `Dowv metalwllich ,isla metallurgical, Standard f: f cast with Celluloid, charge 3 can'be dispensed metal. This plug I8 is provided, atvits lower ory f with, Y 'inserted portion Witha countersink I9 of a. depth'1v After the charges 3 and l4 have been placed `to have the central portion 20 at the upperend'f within the pocket 2, the steel nose 5 is disposed. of the plug I8 of desired thickness. y y

In Comunication withthelower portion of` the socket l1 are the upper ends of the openings or ports 2|. As Aherein disclosed, these openingsr or ports 2| are four in number and, as clearly indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2, these openings or ports are equidistantly spaced around the body It will also benot'ed that these ports are dis'- posed on an outward angle toward then'ose end' of the body and preferably on VanangleuofA 45 degrees, althoughflddn'ot wishtogbe understood as limiting myself to this exact angle.` l 'i In the present embodiment of myinvention, the

ports or openings 2| open outwardly toward the stays 6. I do notwish to be understood as'limit-V ing myself to this exact arrangeme'ntn as these.. openings or ports 2| may be otherwise positioned the balloon carrier B and thus provide for the desired dropping vof lthe bomb when it reaches its calculated destination. V

It has been found in practice thatwith the ,use of a v'7% solution of acetic acid and with the central portion 20 of the plug I8 e125 thick, approximately three hours time will elapse after the release of the balloon carrier Bfan'd its carried 1 bomb before the acidsolution will eat `through as may be deemed more expedient. 'I'hese open-vr l ings or ports 2| provide suchdrag upon the tail end of the bomb when dropping to'keep thev nose end` down and therebyinsuring proper function,-r ing of 'a detonating 'argssernbly;` when thesbomb' strikes' its cbjectiye.

and mayuwithready'modiation be 4made into a demolition type of bombit i'sprirnar'ily intended' as alight weight incendiarybonib and to be ein-j ployed in connection 'with Aa, balloon ,carrier B.j 'Ihis balloon carrier B ,isi preferably inflated by,` hYdQgeilO.. other Suitable V,gas and S'gDlVided with' a` depending neck 272 which 'engages over; the tail end portion of the body 4| VAand,isheldfthereto the'portion-j2 to allow' for'thedopping of the bomb. It is obvious, however, that by varying the strength of the acid solution IB and/or by Varyng the thickness of the portion 2li, or both, this ':timernay be regulated within certain limits. i

vAs hereinbefore stated, the body can be made from gniagnesium with a thermite charge, but

also a highlyefective body can be made by castving"the'rrnite andY magnesium with Celluloid in equal parts,

l'from the foregoing .description it is,.thought to beobvious that an incendiary borrib4 construct,- eduin accordance Y with my invention is particularly' well 'adaptedjfor use by reason of` the cn- Veniene and' `facility"` with which` it may'libe as` sembledrandioperatedm i 1' What'I claim isz'.` l l 1. In combinationjaballoonfcarrier, arbomb carriedhthervebyand having a' chamber 1in com- N munication with the interior of the balloon'barbya'nA encircling band 2,3101' otherwisera's may be preferred.

chamber |0, the balloon carrierjis inated'so that itfwill riserto a definite altitude withpa'given load so' that fthe same willhave ahzero- ,lift atthevdesired heightu as"A established Vfrom theodolite cornputation on aftrial balloon. After'the balloon carrier B khas been iniiatedv to thecomputed .dieA

amete'r; itsjneck 2isthen engaged toand secured overthe tail end portion ofthe bqdyj. The assfembly' isuthen' turned loose and vwillris'e, toits slipstram untilthe acid solution 6 eatsthrough the central-portion ofthe plug!` I8, whereupon the gas within the balloon carrier'j B will escapeA through the `vent or opening I5, chamber Illandl openings or ports 2|,at which tirneithezbodyl drops and the deflated balloon 'carrierfB fwill Aact as `"anfadditional tail iin to keep fdownthe noseu Y` endf the body It isto' be noted that'rthe-yent Y o1' opening I5; chamber Y| 0, and a'nopening yor port,Y

2| `constitute al passageway leadingl from-l the interior of the balloon carriei-'to the a trr1ospvlere.r

If desiredfhowever, theremaybe placed'within` the socket` I1 an igniter orlp'ellet 24 of ,heii'ahlor-Y ethane or other material'which will become'feff fective under Ythe action ofthe 'acidsolution I6..v Upon ignition of this pellet 2 4, the'gases escaping voo `from' the balloon' carrier B will blowofi l rien said bombhaving a portble'ading fromthe chamber tothe atmosphere rnearisjfor closing the opening y, between lthe Vch'arnb,'erv andtheat` h mos'phere, and an acidcharge the chamber,

, saidclosing means includingA afpartltolbe `eaten away` under theaction' ofthe ac icLL ,2. lIn Vcornbination;".a' balloon "iarrie'r,j` abomb carried thereby and'lhaving `av chamber )incollai municatiorr with theinterior'of the balloon carrier, saidwbombr having apo'rt leadingv iromfthe charriber'to` the atmosphere, means for closing the ",operiing` betweenI the chamber and, the y atmospherelan Vacid `charge Withinjthe chamben saidfclosing means includinga "part` to :be eaten 4 away under the action of the acid, an'anigniter within the opening below the closinginearrsgthe acidl'chareegueori 'bpenin'g of 'said means; ieni;

I y n Y gasesesaping frornj ,withintheballoonicarrier:v Y

ing the igniter toxpl'ode the 3. In cornloinationA a balloon carrier bomb including a body carried theV balloon carrier, said-V body having 'a1 chamber in communication with the interiorfof the,ba lloon`carrier, a socketl in the'basewall of the chamber, said bodyhaving `a portlvtherethrough in communication with said socket;'a pluglttedwithin'the socliet to close iiow out through; the port; andan acid charge within l the chamber, said plug,A having 'apart to h be eaten away under-the action ofthe'acid charge and the port. l

to open the communication between theopening 'Yfrieren/IAS!B;i DUNeAN, f 

